§ 21. Mr. MorleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science what progress he has to report on his plans for testing at age seven; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mrs. RumboldContracts have been let for the development of standard assessment tasks in the core subjects and technology for seven-year-old pupils. Work has already begun to develop, trial and pilot these SATs in preparation for the first unreported assessments in summer 1991. The first reported assessments will take place in summer 1992. Assessment arrangements for other foundation subjects will be phased in later.
§ 45. Mr. AmosTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Science if he will make a statement on his progress in implementing a system of testing for pupils at ages seven, 11 and 14 years.
§ Mrs. RumboldThe national curriculum system of testing rests on the establishment, for each foundation subject, of programmes of study and attainment targets. These will be introduced for mathematics and science for five and 11-year-olds, and for English for five-year-olds, this autumn. Those pupils will be assessed in these subjects on a trial basis when they reach the ages of seven and 14 respectively in 1991 and 1992, and on a reported basis in subsequent years. Contracts have already been let for the development of standard assessment tasks for seven-year-olds and bids for SATs for 14-year-olds are under consideration. Assessment arrangements in these subjects for 11 and 16-year-olds and in other subjects at each age will be phased in over succeeding years.